Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park

Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, is among the most extraordinary but under-visited heritage destinations in India. It preserves the only substantially intact pre-Mughal Islamic capital city in Asia: the walled city of Champaner built by Sultan Mahmud Begada of the Gujarat Sultanate between 1484 and 1535, abandoned within 50 years and never substantially rebuilt. Its Jama Masjid is considered the finest pre-Mughal mosque in India. Rising above the city, the 830-metre Pavagadh Hill holds the Kalika Mata Temple, a Shakti Peetha revered as the site where the toe of Goddess Sati fell, drawing pilgrims throughout the year. The site spans 11 types of monuments including palaces, stepwells, mosques, Jain temples and fortifications.